My background checks and how to prepare for one

November 1, 2018

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3 minute read

My background checks are done by employers for most jobs in this day and age. Businesses have to be shown to have taken the necessary steps to protect any other people who work for them and this includes ensuring that no unsavoury characters come to work at the business. If there are incidents this could lead to very expensive lawsuits where the employer could be considered culpable. This could then cost the company a lot of money.

There are ways however that you can prepare for and check what your employer will find. You will obviously know if there is anything in your past that could come back to haunt you, but luckily if things are more than seven years old and you have changed your life around then you should get the chance to improve your life and be hired.

So, what will happen in this verification process? They will want to check your identity; they will want to check that the education and experience that you have stated are valid. For driving or nannying jobs mainly they will want to check your driving record, if applicable. The employer will want to check that what you have said is true to not only verify that you are suitable for the position but also to show that you are an honest character who would not lie to secure a job role.

Therefore, what preparations can you do? You should take along a copy of your resume and all appropriate addresses and phone numbers for previous employers. This will make you look efficient and approachable as well as honest.

Why not research your own history, see what you can find out about yourself! This should include employment dates, examinations passed and so on. You can research in your own archives, but you can also contact the previous examiners and see what they have on file for you. You will then know if there may be any issues if the employer tries to contact them and they say they have never heard of you! You can therefore provide them with as much evidence as you have and explain the situation. You should also have pay check slips or W-2s available that will verify previous employment.

It may also be advantageous to provide a list of all of your previous addresses and dates; again this shows that you have nothing to hide and are perfectly willing to share this information. You may also want to take along a passport or driver’s licence as these documents are hard to come by if you have carried out previous misdemeanours and again these will prove your authenticity.

A lot of people think it is wise to miss out that three-month job or to pretend they had more responsibilities at a job than they did. My advice for this is do not, this could backfire and end up costing you the job; just be yourself and be honest and then you will find the right job for you Honesty really is the best policy!